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Something to be thankful for...

Happy Thanksgiving from All-American Pest Control!

 
I have a lot to be thankful for this year. The most obvious and life-changing is my first child, Brooks Richardson. Brooks made quite an arrival coming 6 weeks early on August 16th. He is a precious little man and we love him so much. (He's also the reason I have taken a break from blogging recently).

I"m also thankful for our employees. Each and everyone person contributes to the betterment of our business, is dependible, and represents our company well. We could not serve our customers without you!

I'm thankful for our customers. We have some customers that have been with us over 45 years. That is amazing to me. We appreciate every one!  And, hope to continue to be able to solve pest problems, keep homes healthy, and develop strong relationship in the community. So, much of our grow comes from referrals from all of you. Thank you.

It takes a lot of relationships to keep a business running day in and day out. Everyone from Cintas (our uniform provider) to Lance Finley (our web-designer), to Sir Speedy, Allegra Print & Imaging, and Austin Casselman (our printers)... including Dow AgroSciences, Oldham Chemical, Forshaw, and Univar (our product manufacturers and distributors) that get us materials on time. We're thankful for our relationships with every one of our Builders and Realors. We're thankful for Emma, Marathon Data Systems and all the other technology that keeps us running and in touch with our customers.

It takes a village to raise a child, I hear... and it takes a village to run a business!

Thank you all and Happy Thanksgiving!

What does a Fire Ant Mound look like?

Fire ant mounds come in many sizes, and they can grow very large. Here are some pictures of fire ant mounds found in Franklin, TN.  Fire ant stings can be very dangerous for humans and pets. If you find a fire ant mound in your yard, we can help!

Help! I have fleas!

 We get most of our calls for fleas in June each year... but flea problems can come almost anytime. Flea inside treatments are included in our quarterly Perimeter Pest Control program & our Perimeter PLUS program. If you are set up on one of these programs and you get a flea problem, all you have to do is call. We’ll come and take care of your flea problem for no additional charge. (Same goes for most all other pesky little bugs out there)

Fleas are a situation where we need helps from you, the homeowner. There are some steps you can take to prepare your home and get a better, more thorough treatment. First of all...

    * Pick up toys, boxes, and other items lying on the floor
    * Vacuum floors, upholstery furniture, and any pet bedding
    * Take the vacuum bag (or empty the canister) outside of your home (don’t leave it inside to reinfect your house)
    * Have your house treated by a professional. You’ll need to stay out of your house until the material dries (about 2-3 hours)
    * If you haven’t had your pet treated, do so on the same day.
    * After the professional treatment, buy a cheap flea collar, cut it up, and place pieces in your vacuum bag or canister.
    * Vacuum at least every other day for 3 weeks (maybe 4).
    * Leave your thermostat at a constant temperature, do not turn off the air while at work or out of town.

These steps will get rid of your flea problem. It takes fleas 21 days to go through their life cycle. The professional treatment will kill all the adult fleas, but fleas will continue hatch for 21 days. Vacuuming with a flea collar in the bag will continue to reactivate the material as fleas continue to hatch, the flea collar will kill any fleas that get picked up by the vacuum.

What are these tiny, jumping flea like creatures?

With all the rain that we have had since the beginning of March, it is very likely that you've seen some ants in your house. In June, rain and moisture contributes to calls regarding the wee little creature named a Springtail.

Springtails are very small wingless pests that occasionally invade your home. Damp conditions are preferred... so you'll most likely find springtails in basements, bathrooms, and kitchens... and sometimes around window sills.  They are 1-2 mm in size and can jump a mean 3-4 inches... which amazingly is about 100 times their body length.

A general pest control treatment or a Green Choice Pest Control treatment with an emphasis on kitchen, bathrooms, and water pipes will help greatly with a Springtail problem in Middle TN.

All-American Employee of the Year 2009: David Earheart

Have you met David? David is our Employee of the Year for 2009. Voted on by fellow employees, the winner was announced at our Annual Employee Dinner & awarded a one-week paid vacation to his destination of choice! David and his wife, Barbara, have chosen to spend their vacation in San Diego, California in August. 
   After serving for 26 years and retiring with Coca-Cola Company, David joined All-American over 3 years ago. David works in the Sentricon Department. He has two daughters, Carey & Megan, and he has one granddaughter, Chloe.  Tell David Congrats!

Now is the time for Carpenter Bees in Nashville, TN

As of yesterday, we have started getting our annual calls regarding carpenter bees. Carpenter Bees look much like a bumble bee. You don't have to worry about nasty, painful stings... because carpenter bees won't sting you. They will dive at you and try and scare you away, but they won't sting.

What they will do is burrow into wood decking, wooden eaves or just about any unpainted, unsealed wood material.  They burrow into the wood and then neatly (nearly perfectly) clean out a hollow with the grain of the wood. This is where they will nest and the larvae will grow.

Carpenter Bees are covered under our Perimeter Pest Control and our Green Choice Pest Control program. If you are a customer and have a carpenter bee problem, just call us and we'll schedule a time to come out to provide an additional service for no additional charge.

About 1 week after our treatment, it's best to caulk the holes where the carpenter bees were and paint or seal the wood. Painting and sealing untreated wood and maintaining the paint and seal is the best way to prevent Carpenter Bees in the future.

Here is a picture I found of the holes and runs that the perfectionist carpenter bee creates...

All-American Pest Control's eNewsletter

 

I sent out All-American's April eNewsletter this afternoon. Below are some quick links to some of the articles. If you would like to subscribe to our bi-monthly eNewsletter, go to our website home page and click on the "subscribe to our eNewsletter" image on the right hand side.

April eNewsletter

The Buzz of Nashville: In Like a Lion...Out Like a Lamb
Questions I Get Asked: Why doesn't Windex or other Household Cleaners get rid of my ants?
News & Events: Lipscomb's Green Business & Living Summit and Expo
A Nashvillian You Should Know: My Mom!

In like a lion... out like a lamb

In like a lion... out like a lamb

March weather can be wildly unpredictable... from snow to 70 degrees.  But, one thing we can predict... is that spring is just around the corner!  The number one indicator of spring in our business is household ants & termites.  Yep... those little pesky colonies keep us busy all spring long and into the summer.  Ants and termites can surprise you with swarms.  To tell the difference between a ant swarm & a termite swarm, take a look at the attached diagram.  A swarm isn't anything to fear... call today for preventative pest control or a free termite inspection.

Mark Your Calendars for LIpscomb's Green Business & Living Summit, April 2-4

All-American is a Gold Sponsor for The Green Business and Living Summit and Expo. The Green Business and Living Summit and Expo will be held on the Lipscomb University campus, April 2-4, 2009. This event is hosted by Lipscomb’s Institute for Sustainable Practice, and focuses on growing green business opportunities in Tennessee such as green building, energy, transportation, home, office, electronics, waste elimination, and the environment. There will be a 2 ½ day Green Expo showcasing green products and services for consumers as well as a one day Business Summit for business leaders interested in this rapidly growing market and in greening their business practices. All will begin with a community wide kickoff event and keynote address by Gary Hirshberg, President and CE-Yo of Stonyfield Farms, as well as a green art show, product demonstrations, green job fair, and more. Additional information is posted on the web site at www.greenbusinessandliving.net.